Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-18
LIFE ON THE BEACH.
LAUNCHING A LifEBOAT AT OAK
ISLAND STATION.


Regulations of the Life Saving Service.
Throwi Ing the Life Line-rhe Life Saw
Ing Anchor-The Breeches Buoy-Re-
suscitating a Drowning Man.
Is launched for practice The boat lay on
the beach just beyond reach of the waves, 1t
was SHAPED like an Indian canoe. twenty
eight feet hong and six feet wide The cap
eain steers the boat with au oar twenty-five
feet long There are places for twelve oars
men in the boat. and each man handles an
oar sixteen feet long. The boat is rolled
down TO the water on wooden rollers. Five
rows Of great green ssahorses were tumbling
in, waving their white manes. when the re-
porter climbed into the boat and took a seat
In the bow. Six men ranged themselves on
either side and Capt. Arnold stood at the
stern. As a great wave receded sillenly the
captain criei:
Now, boys, let her go!'
The boat forged slowly ahead. thrus;ing her
nose into toppling wall of foaming water.
The men jumped in and grabbed their oars,
The next wave lifted the boat on its foaming
crest and hurled it hack. Before the life
savers could recover their lost ground = great
green monster slipped his mighty shoulder
uaier the keel and threw the boat high and
dry upon the beach Delugcd with water and
painting like hounds the men hailed out the
water AMI rested for a moment. But they
were not dismayed Once more they placed
the boat on an even keel. This time they
succeedcd in getting through three hines of
the oceans guards, but the fourth .tS what
one of the men called ali ''old dundersllin."
1t seemed 10 froth with rage at the audacity
Of those puny life savers. The men throw
their whole weight on the oars. They tusSed
until the stout wood groanel in pain; but 1t
was no Use. The crew were pretty well
tagged out by this time, and were inclined To
give up the attempt: bat Capt Arnoid's blood
was up. He decided on trying it once more.
This time great care was taken III the selec-
ton of re,,eding wave. Just at the right
moment the boat was launched and forced
through the breakers in one, two, three order,
and the gallant craft at last shot through the
last foaming sea wall and rode on the long
swell outside the surf.
The regulations of the service require that
the life boat shall lie launched every day from
the lst Of September to the lst Of May, but
in very rough weather this rule can be rlodi-
ded at the discretion Of the captain. But
throwing the life line is practiccd only twice
a week This is a very int! cstipg operation
After dinner. which consisted of apple pot
pie, coffee boiled in three gallon coffee pot,
a big pitcherful of milk with real. genuine
cream half an inch deep on top, nealy pota-
toes and juicy bluefish, the stove was black
ened with molaSses and vinegar, and then the
cart containing the life lines W.; run out
into a meadow back of the station housa The
little cannon was carried out into the field
and sighted so that the life line, or whip, as
it is called. would he shot over post about
800 feet away. The captain took from a
leather cartridge box swung around his
shoulder little red flannel bag containing
one ounce and half Of coarse powder. This
bag was placed in the cannon and rammel
home. No wadd;ng was nsed Then an iron
or steel " ight about one foot long, and hay
Ing on one end a thin piece of iron resembling
a section of poker with a ring in the end, was
dropped into the cannon. 1t weighed about
fourteen pounds. While the cannon was being
prepared for use the anchor had been placed
in position.
A life saving anchor l. a very curious con
trivance 1t consists Of 80 very heavy OAK
planks about six feet long and boltcd To-
ge,her in the middle with a ring bolt. Thec
planks are spread apart until they resemble
a cross. They are then buried in the sand
from two to three fest deep. The strain
comes upon the center of the anchor, and
Capt Arnold said the anchor would stand a
sufficient strain to part an inch lilse. When
the anchor had been properly buried, the
cannon was fred by means OF lanyard and
a patent fuse The iron weight shot up il
the air to an elevation OF sixty feet, carrying
the whip with it, which was about the size OF
q clothes line, but much stronger, and
pumped down into the sand The line had
been carried directly over the post and was
caught By a man on a ladder, who repre-
sented shipwrccked sailor He hauled away
OF the small line until he had pulled iii an
other line about an inch in thickness. Fast
ened to the larger line was what is called
tally board This board was about l3xG
inches in size Upon one side Of the board
was printed in Engiifh the following words:
Make the hawser last about two fee: above the
tail block. See all clear and that the rope IN the
block runs free. and show signal 10 the sLorr.
After the hawser was made fast by means
Of blocks a breeches buoy was pulled over to
the fictitious wreck This buoy is an ordin-
cry life saving buoy, pendant from which
was a pair of knickerbocker trousers made
of stout canvas Seven men hc2vcd away oo
the hawser until it was stretched perfectly
Straight. Then prop made of two forkeG
pieces of wood was placed under the shore
end of the line. which raised il ~ In much
the same way that clothes line is raised
into the air The breeches buoy was pulled
over the line, swinging fran block and
tackle. the make believe castaway swung
himself into it and was pulled ashore, and the
practice was over. The process of winding
up the whip line so that it Will not snarl was
very ingenious. 4 board about two by three
feet in size was placed upon the ground.
Into the outer edge of this board pegs We're
set about an inch apart. The rope was
wound up on these pegs IN such way thai
when the weight few from the cannon's
mouth the rope was unwound in a way
which prevented saarl such rs occurred
before this process was invented The Longest
line in the station was l 800 feet. If a cas-
should occur in which the breeches buoy
would be required, six ounces Of powdc'
would be used in the cannon.
After the life line practice the men werl
into the station house and practiced resIsc,-
tating drowning man. Each one of tie
men is required to commit TO memory two or
three pages Of printed matter from a book
containing instructions as TO his duties when
q half drowned person is rescued. These re-
hcarslls are sometimes very funny, for. 10
matter how well the life saver understands
his duties practically, when he tries 70 oper
atc On q living man and repeat his lines al
the same time, he is apt to become confused